MANILA, Philippines – Polls opened on Saturday morning, August 31, in Barangay 176 in Caloocan City, as voters decide on the proposed split of their home village — the Philippines’ most populous — into six smaller ones.
A total of 85,846 residents of the village also known as Barangay Bagong Silang are eligible to cast their ballots on Saturday across five voting centers, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
A majority vote in favor of the split will ratify Republic Act No. 11993, the law signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in April to establish six villages to be taken from the mother barangay.
Barangays are often split to improve the quality of services offered to residents, since village officials in large barangays are stretched too thin due to the large constituencies.
Under the new law, each of the six new barangays will have a village chairperson, seven village councilors, one Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson, and seven SK members appointed by the mayor.
They “shall serve until their successors have been duly elected and qualified,” the law reads.
The Comelec said voting is from 7 am to 3 pm, after which the counting of ballots will commence. The canvassing starts at 6 pm. – Rappler.com